Apple Magazine - Summer 2017

through their school or a local poolto make sure they learn to swim fromcertified instructors.

“If you’ve taken lessons from experts,you’re better off than if you haven’t,” shesays. If cost is a concern, connect withyour child’s school or local pool to findaffordable options that work for yourfamily.

Safety is the first reason for yourchildren to learn how to swim.

Another is being able to comfortablyenjoy a long list of water activities suchas canoeing, kayaking, water-skiing andfishing.

Swimming also brings a lot of
“childhood joys,” says Coral Wales,
a swimming instructor at the YMCA
in Calgary. “When you know how to
swim, you don’t have to miss out on fun
opportunities such as summer camps,
school trips, birthday parties, or even just
hanging out with friends.”
Whether you learn to swim as a kid or
an adult, it can be a lifelong, low-impact
activity that’s good for mind and body.

And, it’s fun. Just ask Rutherford. “Thekids love it,” she says. “They ask to do itall the time.” |a

STAYING SAFE AROUND WATER

•;Whether your children are around a pool, a beach or a bathtub, their biggestrisk near water is a lack of adult supervision, says the Red Cross. You oranother adult need to stick with them.

•;“Put up a fence around any personal pools to avoid children accidentally fallingin and always stay alert and within arm's reach of children, even in shallowwater,” says Coral Wales, a swimming instructor at the YMCA in Calgary.

•;Boats are involved in more than a third of all deaths in and around water inCanada. Most people who die are men and teenage boys, says the RedCross. The biggest risk for boating deaths is not wearing a personalflotation device.

•;“Always be cautious while hiking along a river,” Wales says. “Choose thesafest routes with least chance of slipping, and never be near or in the watercompletely alone.” If you fall in, call for help and try to grab a floating object.

PEE IN THE POOL

Researchers at the University ofAlberta have proven what manyfear: some people pee in the pool.

They tested 29 pools for artificialsweeteners found in urine. The badnews? They found the sweetener inthe pools. The good news? It poses aminimal health risk. The researchersalso found urea and ammonia inurine can react with pool water andirritate the eyes and lungs. As for asolution: don’t pee in the pool.